Vroum Vroum Mag motors into frame for Mares Hurdle
Although there were only five races for punters to enjoy, there was ample opportunity for Willie Mullins to dominate, and the Closutton trainer did so with a fine double courtesy of the promising Bello Conti and the established Vroum Vroum Mag.
In the opening Clonmel Maiden Hurdle, over two miles, Bello Conti made a winning debut for his new stable.
The four-year-old, who was third on his only start in his native France, was sent off the 8-13 favourite and there were few anxious moments for his short-odds supporters.
Always to the fore, he travelled best into the straight and, while not foot-perfect over the final flight, he galloped strongly to the line to see off the challenge of market rival Madfuninthewest.
Said Mullins: “That was grand. He can go up in trip as he’s a staying hurdler in the making, and we’ll find a race for him in the New Year. He’s a decent recruit.”
After six consecutive victories over fences since joining the Mullins team, Vroum Vroum Mag was backed from 1-7 to 1-16 to successfully revert to the smaller obstacles in the Mares’ Hurdle and the prolific scorer did so in the manner which the market anticipated.
Apart from an untidy jump at the second hurdle, there was very little to report from the race as she jumped fluently thereafter and didn’t have to be asked a single question en route to victory, from Mrs Mac Veale.
“She did much as we hoped she would,” said Mullins. “The race looked a good opportunity and I thought ‘just take it’ and now it gives us the option of staying over hurdles.
“She’s only won two hurdles now and we could go down that path if things presented themselves.”
Asked whether or not she could be a replacement for Annie Power should, for any reason, she miss the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, Mullins replied: “That’s a big possibility. On her chase runs, she looks like she’d be good enough to compete in that. That is in the back of our minds the whole time.
“If more opportunities like this appear we’ll take them, otherwise she has to take on Grade 1 horses over fences. This is an easier game for the time being.”
On the curtailed programme, there was time for real drama, and it came at the start of the Next Meeting Thursday February 4 Maiden Hurdle. Second-favourite Sizing Alberta set out in front but ran off the opening bend, a move which encouraged the 2-5 favourite, A Toi Phil, to follow suit. Paper Lantern was carried around by the latter’s move. The odds-on favourite decanted Patrick Mullins, but the other two re-joined the race a long way behind the field.
Lets High Five It was left in front and held that position for much of the remainder of the trip. However, the well-bred For Freddie, who is out of 1999 Pertemps Hurdle winner Generosa, travelled very strongly into the race, and the 33-1 shot, trained by Edmond Kent and ably assisted by 7lb claimer Eoin O’Brien, stayed on nicely to beat the long-time leader, with Paper Lantern running a remarkable race to finish third.
Said winning trainer Kent: “I wasn’t expecting that as he hasn’t run for a long time and we thought he would need it. But, it turned out to be a funny race, with that shchmozzle at the start.
“He’s very well bred, being out of Generosa, who was a Cheltenham Festival winner and whose only other foal, Liskennett, finished runner-up in the Albert Bartlett at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival.
“He has had his problems but if he stays sound we should have plenty of fun with him. He might even jump a fence before the winter is out.”
There was an upset in the Powerstown Handicap Hurdle when Outofcologne made all the running to make a winning debut for trainer Liz Doyle.
The 12-1 chance was clear from an early stage and, in a well-judged ride by Sean Flanagan, the mare had enough in hand to stave off the late challenge of Summers King by half a length, with Fort Carson the same distance away in third.
There was a positive end to proceedings for punters as the well-backed Ice Cool (7-2 to 9-4) ran out an easy winner of the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Donagh Meyler, who also received an award for being the leading claimer at this track in 2015.
Trained by Athenry-based Val O’Brien, who was also amongst the winners at Thurles on Sunday, the six-year-old was to the fore early, led past the stands with a circuit to go, and, despite taking a chance at the final hurdle, found plenty to secure his maiden victory.
“I think he’s a nice horse, and he does it well,” said O’Brien. “He jumps well and should make a nice chaser in time. We’ll keep him over hurdles this season, and might drop him back in trip to two miles for a race at Punchestown on Thursday week.”
